I moved back to my hiding place, just behind a huge hunk of muscle standing guard. I stepped forward. His body was furthest away from what was happening, so I could take him without the others noticing.

Hopefully.

I lifted my wand to between his shoulder blades and as quietly as I could manage. I froze him, “Petrificus Totalus”. His legs were spread in a defensive stance, so at first he didn’t move. After a moment he began to rock forward.

I stood holding his shirt to stop him, my legs spread like his so no one else would see me. I released my breath as he stayed standing. Carefully walking backwards. Iseara hooted, taking the attention of one of the others.

“Dam owl.” I froze. Pansy? She was wearing bloke’s clothes to cover who she was, including a large full length coat. “Just get it over with Justin, we need to leave soon.” I stepped around to behind the bloke who was behind Pansy. He was thin and kept looking around. I was a good few yards behind him, yet he was plainly not enjoying what was happening. I crept forward, as quietly as I could manage. I lifted my wand to between his shoulder blades.

His head turned.

I froze.

His eyes registered my shoulder and turned fully around.

Dam.

I punched him, I slammed my fist in the centre of his face. Sending him flying into Pansy completely unconscious. They both crumpled to the floor, Pansy screeching and clawing at his face. Sorry dude.

The bloke who was next to Justin spun, he had his foot on a body on the ground lying face down. I sent him into the floor and unstunned who he had been standing on.

Cormac McLaggen leaped to his feet, his nose, cheekbones and left arm was completely broken. His other arm was holding his wand. I fixed his main injuries and began to yell at him. Justin had grabbed the small girl he was holding and twisted her around, using her as a human shield.

“Cormac…Lavender?” She was sobbing. “Lavender calm down. Cormac help me.” Cormac twisted and began punching the bloke who had had him stunned, the bloke came out of his shocked state and the two hit the ground and began to fight.

I twisted as Pansy threw herself at me, dragging her fingernails across my face. I howled and slammed my fist into her stomach. The bloke giant threw Cormac down the shore to the lake and came barrelling at me. Pansy drew her wand, hitting me with the leg-locker curse.

I fell, scrambling, trying to push myself back up onto my feet but failing.

Panic set in, my wand had dropped from my hand just a foot away, out of reach.

I lifted my hands. Hoping to grab the bloke’s hands when he went to punch me.

I heard a screech. Iseara had flown down, spread her wings and began to claw and peck the back of the bloke.

“Brandon!” Justin yelled at him as Brandon twisted. Iseara flew back, her beak and claws covered in blood. Brandon twisted and tried to grab her but she flew out of reach in record speed. She flew higher and began to screech an alarm call. Attempting to draw attention to what was happening.

I threw myself on top of my wand and undid my curse, feeling Pansy throw herself on me we toppled over and began to roll towards the lake. She was clawing at every bit of skin she could find, her wand completely forgotten. I twisted but couldn’t fight. My eyes clenched shut as she clawed at my eyelids.

I threw my head to the side and gasped, blood trickling into the water. Cormac had rushed up and taken down Brandon. I lifted my wand, sending sparks shooting in the air. Lavender was fighting back against Justin and they had fallen onto the shore next to us. I pulled up my leg and slammed it at the point between Pansy’s own. She squealed. I lifted my head, head-butting her in the chest. Twisted, lifting my wand and stunned Justin as Lavender fell, giving me a clear shot. I stood pointing my wand at Pansy and stunning her too.

I picked her up and threw her at the shore so she wouldn’t drown. I splashed over to Justin and did the same. Lavender was curled up in the water and sobbing uncontrollably. I picked her up and carried her back up to where the sun was touching the grass, laying her on the floor I let my eyes run up her body, checking for injury. Behind me Cormac grabbed an unconscious Brandon and copied me, I had the distinct feeling that he would have just left him there if he hadn't seen me pull the others out.

“Did he hurt you? Break anything?” She shook her head. I turned to Cormac. “What about you?” He was panting heavily, pride at having punched Brandon into submission glowing from his face.

“Nothing I haven’t fixed myself.” I nodded. Staring at the spread of bodies, I could hear voices.

Iseara had drawn quite a crowd, all of them running around the corner, stopping as they saw the carnage. Issy flew down, landing on my shoulder and began nibbling my ear affectionately. I stood, holding up my hands as Professor McEvan and Professor Weasley arrived. Both had their wands drawn, McEvan’s was lowered slowly as he saw me. Weasley pointed it at the spot between my eyes. Iseara shrieked indignantly.

“Sir. Please. I can explain everything, but I think we need to get everyone up to the medical room.” Slowly he lowered his wand.

“Right, everyone back. Nothing to see here, come on move! Back to your common rooms!” They grumbled, most ran off to spread the news. The others stuck around stubbornly, determined to see what would happen next.

“Mr Malfoy. I need to fix your face.” I frowned at McEvan.

“Why?” He stared at me, shocked. I saw Lavender draw something from her pocket, holding it up to me. I put my arm around her and helped her to sit against the rock that had served as my hiding place. Iseara began to clean her bloodied beak and claws in a dignified manor, Weasley was going around the unconscious bodies, unstunning them and fixing their wounds.

Lavender held out a small mirror to me. I took it and frowned at it, shocked by what I saw.

I had scratch marks, running from my forehead to my chin, my eyelids were swollen, forcing my eyes to squint as blood trickled from them. As my adrenalin began to seep away the soreness began to grow. She had sunk her fingernails into my neck at some point, I touched them and pulled back. Blood glistening on my fingertips.

“Yeah, please, if you don’t mind.” I let my eyes close, feeling the gouged trenches down my cheeks. I felt his wand tip touch each eyelid, the swelling stopped rising and the soreness increased. I opened my mouth, but managed to keep the moans of pain inside.

“Right, I’m going to have to bandage your eyes, don’t open them, the top layer of skin has been taken off so your eyes are going to be tender.” I stayed still as I heard him summon some bandages and soak them with a water bottle. I felt his hands go around my head, being careful not to catch my hair and he tied the soaked bandages around my eyes.

“Percy, please see to the others, I’ve sent for the other professor’s. I’m taking Mister Malfoy up to be treated by Poppy.” I heard a confirmation.

“No need to take him up Lewis, I’m here.” I heard footsteps. “So what seems to be the problem? I have had to deal with Mr Malfoy far too often this year for my liking.” I felt a small, clammy hand take mine.

“Just me Draco, I’m just a bit shaken, if you don’t mind?” I shook my head, Lavender squeezed my hand and I squeezed back. Hoping that that’s what you do to reassure someone.

No idea why she needs it now!

Stop being so bloody insensitive.

“Okay, I’m going to take off the bandage. Keep your eyes shut as well as you can okay?” I felt the cooling strip of cloth being taken off and a very quiet intake of breath. “Well, they did a thorough job, two seconds.” I heard her summon something, I gently released Lavender’s hand and reaching out. Trying to find the bandage. The sunlight was burning. I felt a rough hand holding it out to me.

“Cheers sir.” I pressed the cold wet cloth over my eyes and waited for Pomfrey to finish.

“Right, Ms Brown can you hold the bandage against his eyes for me please?” I felt her hands pressing it against my face. I held out my hands and took a swig from the bottle Pomfrey held out for me. I handed it back as the fire hit my eyes. I squawked. Biting my lips till the fire froze to ice. Then it disappeared, as quick as that.

I took the bandage away from my eyes, blinking, feeling my eyelids, they were normal again. I smirked.

“Cheers Madam, cheers Lavender.” I stood and stretched, my skin was still scratched but I ignored the soreness.

I turned and saw Weasley pointing his wand at Justin Finch-Fletchley. I frowned as he murmured an incantation. I saw Justin lift his hand, pushing himself up.

Reaching for his wand.

“No!” I drew my wand but Justin was already on his feet, I rushed forward. He lifted a wand and sent a curse straight to me.

I blocked it, he was running along the shore. His broom zoomed around the corner, I lifted my wand and summoned mine.

I was catching up.

He sent a curse over his shoulder which I dodged, lifting my wand my charm hit his leg. Freezing solid but his broom was right next to him. I growled in frustration as he threw himself onto his broom.

Oh hell no!

I grabbed the end of his broom, he cursed and pulled up but I didn’t let go. I swung my legs up and wrapped them around the broom just below his hands. Refusing to let go. He swerved and dived, trying to shake me off but I had a very good grip.

My body was burning, Iseara suddenly appeared at my side, screeching she pecked at the back of Justin’s head.

“Good girl Issy! Good girl!” She hooted and pecked with more ferocity right into the back of his neck. His body gave a spasm, the broom flipped and I was suddenly on top. Justin was clinging to his broom which I was flying backwards.

I twisted the broom around and began flying back towards the castle behind me. I felt his fist hit my stomach, I gasped and wobbled. He twisted and flipped it so I was once again underneath. I blinked and spotted my broom, following us obediently. Several more professor’s had gathered on the shore and were pointing their wands but had no good shot.

I dropped my hands from the end of his broom and held them out for mine. It swooshed up and I grabbed it. My hands were burning but I twisted it so I would be facing the right way. My legs were completely numb but I forced them to unhook his broom.

I dropped.

I scrabbled at my broom, my body was too numb and exhausted to co-operate. I managed to throw my throbbing body onto my broom’s main body and pointed it to where Justin was zooming towards the perimeter fence. I hunkered down and pushed my broom to go faster. He was getting closer, throwing worried glances over his shoulder at me.

“Time’s up Malfoy!” I was levelling my wand at his back, he was swerving to avoid it. “Time’s up for the pure-bloods!”

“What the hell do you mean?” He laughed, twisting in a circle. I pulled up, watching as he twisted then shot forward as he made a dash for another bit of the fence.

“Do you know what it’s like?” I gave up on my wand, holding out my hand to grab his broom again. “To spend a year in hiding? Nowhere to call home? It’ll happen again. Pure-blood isn’t an excuse to destroy the rest of us, if we weren’t proper wizards we wouldn’t be at Hogwarts!” I threw myself, grabbing his broom.

We twisted in mid-air, grabbing, pushing, punching at each other. “Lavender’s not pure-blood! Why were you attacking her?”

“Werewolves. Kill the pure-blood, kill the magic blood-suckers. I’d feel sorry for her if she was human, but she’s not. You’ll never be happy, not till we’re all dead. If we stop the pure-blood’s now then the rest of us can live our lives not in fear of you lot.” I felt his fist hit my shoulder, I lowered it, ignoring the spasm of pain.

He lunged, over the perimeter. I felt him slip out of my fingers and apparate in mid-air.

“Merlin’s sake!”

I had him! I had him! I was so close! So close!

Crap. Crap. Crap.

I turned to look at the teachers, tiny specks on the other side of the lake. I gave one last look to where Justin had disappeared before flying my broom back towards the castle. A thousand tiny faces in a thousand windows. All of them witnessing my defeat.

Wait.

Parkinson’s pure blood?

Iseara landed at the end of my broom, I stroked her feathers gently. After a minute she hooted and flew back towards the Owlery. Probably to have a sleep. I sighed and allowed my broom to float down to the sea of Professor’s all of them would be judging me for not catching him.

“Mister Malfoy.” I hung my head as Professor McGonagall was standing in front of me, her mouth in that familiar line.

“Yes Professor?” I stood waiting for the speech on my failure. To Weasel’s glee, I could tell from the smirk that was twitching at the corner of his mouth, threatening to grow. I looked at her eyes, not wanting to seem like a coward and look away.

“A valiant effort, now I’m going to ask you to come up to my office to give me all the details of what happened here.” She turned and walked away. I smirked at Professor Weasel’s astonished face.

I walked around the corner and followed McGonagall towards the castle entrance. Everyone else had been moved during my chase of Justin and were either in her office or in the medical wing. As we entered the school, Cyrus and Blaise were leaning against the wall. As we passed them, I nodded to them and they nodded back.

Following us, as we passed the stairs to the dungeon and Slytherin Common Room, they lifted their hands and headed down the steps whilst we carried on towards her office.

She gave the password (per favour) and we rode the stair case up to her office, opening the door it was exactly the same as Dumbledore’s office. Even Fawkes was still there. Only one change had taken place, a portrait of the man himself, larger than all the others. He was sat on a chair, his half-moon spectacles half-way down his long nose and Fawkes resting on his knee.

“Ah, Mister Malfoy. I was glad when Minerva told me you would be returning.” I walked over to the real Fawkes and tried to stroke his feathers, he allowed it but I could feel that something was different. “Phoenix’s are fickle creatures. I’m afraid that they only ever choose one companion. Once they die they tend to just live, but not to their fullest. I’m surprised he hasn’t flown off to find a partner. Most tend to do so.” I retreated from the mourning bird, looking to Dumbledore’s portrait.

“Sir. Do you have any regrets? From how you treated people?” He looked sad as he nodded his head. “Can I ask you, did they ever tell you that they forgive you? Did it help?” His eye’s twinkled. My mind wandered to a certain brunette that always smelled like coconut.

“I suspect Mister Malfoy. That you have more than one ambition for returning. You will just have to find out on your own I am afraid.” He leant back, signalling that question time was over. I grumbled as I sat at McGonagall’s desk. She had disappeared into the back and returned with a few sheets of parchment and a full bottle of ink.

“What was Parkinson doing with them then?” I sighed, the interrogation with McGonagall had been bearable. This was just frustrating. “Two aces.”

“How do I know?” I leant over. “One king.”

“Dunno, she tell you anything?” I shook my head.

“Well, I heard Parkinson and the others are locked in the medical room without their wands till McGonagall’s spoken with them.” Blaise scratched the back of his head as he added his comment to the conversation.

We entered into a moment of silence. “Draco?”

“No?” I turned to face Weaslette, who glared at me.

“Found this, belongs to you.” It was a plain black hoodie.

“Cheers.” It didn’t belong to me, but she gave it a very meaningful look before retreating out of the hall. “I’m off guys, I’ll see you later.” I dished my cards out then left.

Once safely out of the room I unravelled the hoodie. It was small, judging by it and Weaslette it belonged to Potter.

I put my hand in the pocket, closing my hand around a small piece of parchment. I pulled it out, reading as I walked.

Meet me in the room of requirement, tonight at eight.

Hermione

A/N

Thank you for bearing with me whilst I wrote and uploaded this!!! Now, this chapter may confuse some of you, or make perfect sense, or both! However I shall tell you that it all gets tied together soon, and I shall award you wonderful patient peoples who have stuck with me from the beginning! Enjoy… ;)